The present invention relates to a technology to support a network designer in a network developing job and, in particular, to a technology to help the network designer easily develop a large-scale network.
For a physical construction in which a plurality of information apparatuses are connected to each other via a transmission path to function as a network, it is necessary to set to each of the information apparatuses physical parameters such as a network address and a machine name.
Conventionally, the physical parameters are sequentially installed in each information apparatus via a keyboard or the like of the apparatus.
However, when deciding the physical parameters to be installed in each information apparatus, it is required to recognize the construction of the overall network so as to understand meaning of each physical parameter. Furthermore, in the installation of the physical parameters in each information apparatus, there is required professional knowledge related to operations of the information apparatuses. In consequence, conventionally, each information apparatus is required to be operated by, for example, an expert to install physical parameters therein. Therefore, such jobs as the construction of a large-scale network have been attended with difficulty.
According to a technology described in the JP-A-6-110663, the development of a system such as selection of physical parameters for each information apparatus is carried out in a single apparatus. Designed physical parameters are stored for each information apparatus on a media such as a floppy disk. Additionally, the floppy disk is mounted on each pertinent information apparatus to install the physical parameters therein. Moreover, according to this technology, since the design work is accomplished by use of graphical user interface (GUI) or the like, the system design efficiency is improved.
According to the technology, the system design work including the decision of parameters to initialize each information apparatus can be separated from the job of installing physical parameters in each information apparatus. In other words, the network design engineer need only determine physical parameters of each information apparatus via a single apparatus. The installation of the physical parameters in each information apparatus is effected only by loading the information apparatus with the physical parameters stored in a floppy disk or the like and hence there is not required any experienced knowledge. In consequence, the installation job may be entrusted to an operator other than the system engineer. For example, a system end user may achieve the installation.
Consequently, when compared with the prior art, the network system design and installation can be more easily conducted.
In this connection, to enable a network utilization independent of the physical configuration of the network, there has been recently achieved a job in which a logical hierarchic structure of the network is designed in association with the the physical configuration of the network such that parameters to implement operation of the network according to the logical hierarchic structure are set to each information apparatus.
Furthermore, in addition to the physical parameters described above, logical parameters represented by, for example, a user name of each information apparatus are also required for the information apparatuses in the network.
For the logical parameters and logical hierarchic structure, the design work is desirably separated from the installation job.
In this regard, the physical parameters, logical parameters, and logical hierarchic structure described above are mutually related to each other while keeping preset independence of each other. For example, the physical parameters are dependent on the physical structure of the network, and the physical parameters and logical hierarchic structure are required to be associated with the physical structure of the network to obtain an optimal utilization efficiency of the network. Additionally, depending on the logical hierarchic structure, the logical parameters such as a user of each information apparatus are possibly related to a certain hierarchic unit in the logical hierarchic structure.
In consequence, these items are required to be integrally designed in a development environment in which the mutual relationships between these items can be confirmed while retaining the preset independence.
In a large-scale network, it is difficult for the designer to precisely recognize the overall image of the network. Therefore, the design of physical parameters, logical parameters, and logical hierarchic structure is favorably accomplished by an expert versed in the physical configuration of the network.
Moreover, in a large-scale network, it is difficult to guarantee integrity between the parameters installed in each information apparatus and each logical hierarchic level.